Reunion
by smileordie
Summary: She had imagined a sort of grand reunion between the two of them, not a chance encounter in a dingy tavern. But as his lips trailed down her neck, she supposed however that this worked just as well. SasuSaku . Can bonds truely be broken with time?
1. Guess Who

All characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto.

Warning: sexual content, language, violence, and the general ironic angst that tends to come with my writing.

Now that we have made sure that I can not be sued, on with the fic!

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**On the first night, Sakura saw him again.**

It was late: past midnight. The stars were shimmering high above a miniscule town in a small territory ruled by rogue ninjas and low life scum. This town also happened to be the current destination for a solo B rank mission that Sakura had begrudgingly undertaken in the hopes that she could earn a few extra dollars to help pay this month's rent. It had been a long day of battling low rank shinobi, who didn't seem to understand that they stood no real chance against an elite Konoha jonin. Bones had been broken, flesh torn, chakra expelled, and now she was _so tiered. _Both Mentally and Physically.

She had started her long trek back toward the fire country, the scroll she had been sent to retrieve tucked securely in her pack. It had always seemed so ridiculous that villages were willing to literally kill for a stupid piece of paper.

The journey back would most likely last all night and well into the next day, even if she were to sprint through the tree tops. Her feet were killing her, she was aching all over, and not to mention the persistent exhaustion tempting her to welcome a well deserved good night's sleep. It was at this moment the Sakura realized she could use a break...and possibly a drink.

She had dragged herself then into a shabby dank pub. It was far from what she would normally consider charming. It was the kind of place where black market deals were discussed openly without worry, and criminals would rendezvous and drink till they passed out. The air smelled thick and moist with sweat and booze; its lighting dark and its patrons darker. But it had been conveniently located on the main road, and she had no amount of extra energy left to turn back and continue until she found somewhere more respectable.

The petite woman had sauntered her way up to the counter, her knee high boots creaking against the old floor boards. The majority of the men turned to look her up and down; a few wolf whistling, one going so far as to holler just what he would like to do to her. She paid them no mind however, as she reached the counter, putting down some coins and uttering her order to the bartender who was also eyeing her suggestively.

It would only take a tap of her heel against the ground to set these drooling low lives straight, but at that moment Haruno Sakura just didn't feel it was worth even that much trouble.

Keeping her fiery temper in check, she took a seat on the nearest stool to await her drink. She flicked her gaze from left to right, observing the colorful mix of low life patrons. Groups of men sat around tables slurring and laughing with each other, the occasional scantily clad woman among them. A few sat alone, eyes cast downward, cloaks obscuring their features. One in particular caught her eye. She couldn't see much of him though. He too was wearing a mysterious cloak. Something about him though made Sakura alert, like she should know this man.

"Here ya go sweetheart," the bartender said as he placed her drink in front of her. She forgot the curious man behind her, her interest now on the small dusty glass in front of her.

After spending a generous amount of time knocking back small glasses full of potent liquor, each one burning her throat deliciously as the warm fuzzy feeling began to settle into her skin. She turned to lay her heavy head on her hand, while focusing her attention back on the man who seemed to now be preoccupied with a scroll laid on the table in front of him.

_I should know him_

His aura radiated a dark, dangerous power. He sat arrogantly in his seat, his posture perfect like he had spent his life in the company of nobles. He still continued to hover over the scroll, his elbows resting on the table, his hands clasped. That's when it hit her. She jolted upright again almost immediately; the self inflicted haze dissipated. There, not but a few feet away, was the one person she never expected to see.

"Sasuke…"

It was barely above a whisper. And as if on queue, the tall mysterious man with wild ebony hair flicked his eyes from his drink and paperwork and locked them directly with hers.

To say the least Sakura had envisioned a grand out-of-the-movies reunion; in which she would give her award winning speech and Sasuke would listen to every word and suddenly realize what a complete imbecile he had been and decide to screw it all and just come home. Happily Ever After.

Seeing him there in that moment had been such a complete shock. It was the first time she had laid eyes upon him after over four years. They had briefly met once or twice when they were fifteen, (bloody battles ensuing shortly then afterward) but she had always been expecting to see him them. Naruto had been at her side as well.

And now this extraordinarily unexpected meeting between Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke had proven to be so… un-extraordinary.

He was just plainly sitting their on an old bar stool, in this dark tavern, a mug clutched in his hand, and a cloak drawn up over his strong shoulders. It was so plain; he was just another boy, (man, he was a man now as Sakura reminded herself,) just sitting there having a drink; like every other normal person would. Except he was so far from normal: he was Sasuke. The Last Uchiha and missing S class ninja Sasuke.

It then began to register that at that very moment, Sasuke was looking straight at her. His eyes boring directly through her, examining every detail they could take in. His lips pressed together tightly and features constricted into a brief flash of unguarded surprise. It seemed as though she had not been expected either.

She became very aware of herself in that instant and how _plain _**she** looked. She was tiered and scraped from her mission; her hair pulled back into a short messy pony tail. Her clothes were slightly torn from a kunai thrown her way, and her fingernails caked with dirt. She was far from glamorous. The way Sasuke's piercing gaze continued to weigh her down didn't help much with her confidence either.

_Okay. So we just ran into Sasuke, no big deal. _

_Option A: We can pretend as if we are completely uninterested and just simply leave and forget that we ever laid eyes on him._

_Option B: We can act on our orders and beat him so hard he'll forget he ever left konoha in the first place or…. _

_Option C: We can go over and calmly and civilly talk to him. Come to think of it, Naruto, Kakashi, and I have never seriously just been able to sit down and tell him why we need him to come back._

Swallowing her fear and inhibitions, Sakura gathered herself and made her way to the spot where the man she had been searching nearly seven years for was currently sitting. His eyes never digressed from her as she took bold steps toward him, her mind reeling with what she should say to her ex-teammate turned cold blooded killer.

"…Sasuke…"

"Sakura."

"…it's been awhile."

"Hn."

She scoffed at his signature reply.

For a moment, he looked taken aback by this. Or what Sakura imagined was Sasuke's equivalent of taken aback. As long as she had known him, the man had never betrayed his feelings, even when they were 12 year old kids. He had been even more withdrawn and cold as a 15 year old, and now at 20 she figured he had gained an even thicker emotional barrier.

She realized then that she did not know this man sitting across from her; he might as well have been a complete stranger. From the way his cruel calculating eyes stared and the way the corner of his mouth was drawn into a half smirk, like he was enjoying his own private joke. He sat cordially upright, something that had probably been drilled into him by his clan at a young age. It was one of the things that she had identified him with when his face had been turned away from her.

He looked as ironic as it was… like his brother. She shouldn't have expected anything different though, Sakura knew better than anyone else that time and motivations could change a person.

"You… What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you," he smirked. "This isn't the kind of place for a sweet little blossom to be running around in, you might get into some trouble."

Sakura was at a loss for words. He continued, "So have you come over here to try and drag me back to your little village with you?"

After all this time, even after he had seen her punch craters into the ground a few years previous, he still thought of her as a weak and troublesome little girl. She supposed she had still been fangirling over him then however. Sakura swallowed, and for the first time ever, defended herself against the Uchiha genius.

"You do realize that I am on my way back from shattering the skulls of 20 or so men closely resembling the thugs inhabiting this delightful little establishment. I could take out everyone here with my pinky toe. I'm not one to fuck with Sasuke, so don't think you can just sit there like the condescending bastard you are and talk down to a high ranking konoha jounin and apprentice of the hokage herself. Stop being so goddamned annoying. You're lucky I'm tipsy or else I'd have immediately acted on my orders to eliminate you Sasuke-_kun_."

Sasuke looked for a moment as though he had been slapped in the face and was ready to let loose on a murderous rampage. Quickly remembering himself however, his expression returned to one of condescending amusement/annoyance (she still wasn't sure how it was possible for him to do that, but she was just thankful that he had regained any spec of emotion at all) He stood up, towering over her.

Dark onyx looked straight down into bright teal, and teal returned the gaze, completely uninhibited.

That's when he kissed her.

His hand had grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her forward as his cool lips came crashing down onto hers. Her hands had come up to grab his shoulders, in hopes of keeping her balance in this earth shattering assault on her lips.

This wasn't right. She must have had too much sake and was currently passed out on the floor instead of actually kissing the long term object of her misguided affections.

This certainly wasn't Sasuke. Sasuke did not do public displays of affection. Sasuke did not do affection period. (Especially with long lost friends whom he had previously tried to murder on a whim) So how could she be here now? Leaning against a rickety old table pressed up against Sasuke's muscular chest as he continued to kiss her like it was the last thing her would ever do.

Maybe this was the last thing she would ever do. He could be more volatile than she realized, and could be planning to slit her throat afterwards.

But despite logical reason, Sakura did the only thing she could think of at that moment; she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back. It was so raw and erotic; that 1 bar-room kiss they shared, in plain view for all to see. In retrospect Sakura supposed that this sort of thing went on all the time in run down questionable establishments such as this. What made it so out of the ordinary was the kiss itself. It was just Sasuke and Sakura and their kiss. That was all that mattered. There were no other drunken patrons around, just their lips locking and relocking in a fierce dance of passion.

When they finally parted, Sakura let out a deep sigh that she had been holding in.

_I forgot to breath_

Without an ounce of regard, he reached around her. Tearing a strip from one of the napkins lying on the table, he quickly scribbled something on it before folding it in half and handing it to a baffled pink haired girl. He looked at her once more, and then pulled her close to him so that their fronts were cemented together. He took her hand in his, glancing from the intertwined limbs back up to her eyes; testing her reactions to his advances. He placed the strip of paper against her palm and then turned away from her and swept from the tavern.

Sakura imagined that if anyone had looked at her in that instant they would have seen an expression similar to the one she wore when she had finally seen underneath Kakashi-sensei's mask. Shocked. Distressed. A little turned on.

As her composure finally returned to her, Sakura remembered the piece of paper folded in her hand. There in neat print, Sasuke had etched a brief message:

_"Midnight tomorrow. Room 212. come if you want."_

What it implied was not lost on Sakura. This surely wasn't Sasuke. Sasuke would never propose something like this. Until a minute ago she had thought the man to be completely asexual, not intimate in anyway. But Sakura was not naïve anymore; she knew that this was not the beginning of a long love filled relationship. Sasuke was not looking for romance. It was one night of no strings attached lust filled hormone driven toe curling passion.

She supposed that she shouldn't be surprised; no matter how withdrawn Sasuke was, he had always been rather upfront about what he wanted and she should have known better than to think that he was above any physical desire like he had seemed to be when he was 12 or 15.

_He wants you. _

The voice chimed in her head. As unreal as it seemed, it was true. Sasuke had taken one look and had listened to the angry words she had spoken and decided he wanted to screw her brains out. It was not a declaration of adoration; but as far as Sakura was concerned it was enough. It meant that he still felt some sort of bond between them; even if he were to deny it.

No matter how hard she tried Sakura knew she still harbored deep feelings for him. It was not the desperate worship of him as it once had been though. It seemed after all the years of begging and pining for his attention, all it had taken was a look of disgust and an insult and Sasuke had given her the most mind blowing kiss she had ever received.

It was tragically ironic. This however proved there was still hope for him yet, and maybe if she went tomorrow night Sasuke would realize all that he had left behind.

Sakura collected her pack and returned to the counter where the barman stood snickering.

"I need a room for tonight." She placed some bills in the man's chubby mitts and he in return handed her a rusty key.

"There you go baby, have fun."

Sakura, ignoring the comment, reluctantly turned toward the stairs that Sasuke had climbed minutes before. She needed to get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long night.

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Reveiws would be great. It's nice to hear what I did right and wrong. Ready... Set… GO! 


	2. Many Questions, Few Answers

A/N: Sorry this was so late!... computer issues.

Thanks for the reviews and alerts guys! I love u! To answer a question, yes Sasuke has a death sentence, which I'm going to elaborate on. It's actually a very crucial part of the story.

I've realized Sasuke is a little out of character in this story; he is much more sinister and essentially more blatantly talkative then how Kishimoto portrays him at this point in time. In the manga/anime Sasuke seems to have gone from an angsty brooding kid to a cold emotionless killer in the span of about 3 years. I think after another 5 he would eventually arrive to the personality he has here in the story. This is essentially a very dark jaded kind of persona. I do not plan in anyway to make Sasuke all lovey dovey and sweet. Ew no way, not Sasuke at all. Anyways enough blabbing…on with it!

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**On the second night, Sakura healed him again**

That morning Sakura awoke to find something far from pleasant pecking at her window sill…

_Sakura-_

_I'm assuming that something has held you up considering the fact that you are not back by now; that is unless a few mediocre shinobi are actually a challenge to you, which in that case it seems that I have been wasting my time by teaching an ungrateful student who can not even take the time to send a message back to her sensei telling her why she- (It was at this point when Sakura began picturing her teacher scribbling this note as she knocked back a bottle of sake) - decided to take a little vacation and not report back. Luckily for you, I am as of now ordering you to remain in the town that you were sent to. There is currently a situation with Akatsuki, the details of which I cannot disclose incase this message was intercepted. We need capable shinobi to keep watch for us outside the village for any possible movement from the organization. The town that you were sent to is the kind of place that members of Akatsuki would make use of, were they planning any sort of operation in the fire country. Be on you guard and report back anything that seems suspicious._

_-The 5__th__ Hokage, Tsunade_

The messenger bird that had arrived with the note had already disappeared, which meant a response was not expected. Sakura felt relieved by this; what would she have said anyways?

'_Dear Tsunade-shishio,_

_Sorry I have not made it back yet or bothered to tell you why I'm late. I think I should let you know that I came across the S ranked criminal and missing nin Uchiha Sasuke, who also happens to be my former teammate, who I have been searching for since we were kids. We had a nice chat over a drink; he then proceeded to kiss me and asked if I wanted to sleep with him. I think you can understand why I haven't written._

_Wishing you well,_

_Head Medic and Apprentice to the Hokage- Haruno Sakura'_

_...Yeah right _

If it sounded crazy to her, she knew Tsunade would think she was a few points short of a throwing star.

In all honesty Sakura had to admit she did feel guilty. She knew she was supposed to have reported back as soon as possible, after all she was carrying an important document, but seeing Sasuke had obviously changed all previous plans. It seemed fate was on her side though (for once) considering how Tsunade had stationed her there anyways. The note has disturbed her somewhat though; something was up with Akatsuki. (And in the normal fashion Tsunade had completely neglected to tell her exactly what) Could it be they were planning on seizing Naruto? After all he was the only Jinchurikki left, it was only a matter of time before the leader decided to make his move.

The loud mouth blond had been confined to the village until further notice for that exact reason. It wasn't horrible, considering how her sensei said she would use the extra time Naruto had off to train him for his future position as Hokage. This kept his complaining down considerably. However, there were a few occasions in which the two would meet for ramen down at the Icharuka….

"_Sakuraaaa-channn, it's so unfair that you get to go run A ranked missions while I'm stuck here rescuing old lady's cats out of trees." _

The thought made her laugh. Naruto was still Naruto, Hokage to be or not.

_What would Naruto think about me seeing Sasuke?_

She knew it would devastate the blond. Hell, his unexpected appearance still devastated her.

She could feel the butterflies fluttering around her insides at the mere thought of it… she couldn't believe what she was about to do that night.

Not that she was a virgin by any means; it wasn't sex she was scared of. It was him. She still had no idea just what this was all about. She knew from experience that Sasuke was unpredictable and virtually unreadable, which meant she would have to be extra cautious. She supposed she should tuck a kunai somewhere he wouldn't notice, possibly in her boot. If he knew she had come armed however, he might decide that he should just go ahead and chidori her into little pieces, that is if it wasn't his intention in the first place.

Sakura glanced out her window. The sun was now beneath the horizon; only a few golden rays from behind the black outline of the distance could be seen peaking through. The stars were beginning to shimmer. That was one thing she loved about the countryside; the nighttime sky was always dulled in Konoha by the glow of city lights.

_Looks like there is only a few hours to go…_

_Should I really do this? _

Another glance out the window. The leaves rustled in the warm breeze. The light was now faded, swallowed up by the darkness like a snake consuming its prey. The blue-black sky now the background for the dull moon.

_It was on a night like this when he left me on that bench_…

_It was on a night like this when Naruto finally woke up in the hospital…_

Sakura drew the curtains on the window.

_I'm going to do this. Even if it kills me.

* * *

_

The doorway to room 212 loomed in front of her like the impending disaster that it was.Its dark wood finish was chipped and scratched off from years of neglect from the caretaker. The dark green wallpaper was peeling off in various places to reveal the tarnished old structure beneath it.

Sakura inched her way toward it, the anticipation pumping through her veins. Despite her minds protests against it, she carefully placed her hand on the deteriorating wood.

This was it

A deep breath

Then a knock

No answer

Another knock

More silence

A turn of the knob

Locked

Forming a few seals, Sakura focused her chakra into the doorknob. A clicking noise told her she now had access to the room. She really had no time to play games tonight; if he wasn't going to answer then she would let herself in.

The scene that awaited her was an empty room. No dangerous and or brooding Uchiha could be seen inside of it. He was gone, leaving nothing but a few books behind on the night stand. Everything was neat and tidy however; the bed was made neatly and towels were folded to perfection. Sasuke's obsession with cleanliness was always something she had viewed as endearing.

_This is just perfect. He isn't here. I can't even detect a flicker of his chakra. _

She slammed her fist against the wall, the old plaster cracking from the impact.

It seemed now would be an adequate time to report the sighting of one Uchiha Sasuke to the Konoha Hunter Nins. She supposed she could go after him herself; after all it seemed as though Sasuke had just recently left. He couldn't have been far off and if she started immediately she would have some hope of catching up to him. Sakura knew it would be near impossible though, Sasuke had proven to exceed in the art of disappearing without a trace.

It was at that moment when the window next to the bed slid open, and in popped a very disgruntled looking Uchiha.

"Sasuke!"

He was covered in a coat of dark crimson. Whether or not it was his blood staining the dark cloak (now torn to shreds) or the blood of others was not immediately obvious to Sakura. But being a medic, she felt a pang of fear for the kind of injury it would take to result in that much blood loss.

He stumbled into the room a few paces, before collapsing onto the bed, his features contorting and cringing as the hand he had wrapped around his side tightened its grip.

Medic mode kicked in, and all previous bitterness was forgotten as she rushed to his side.

"Let me see."

The Uchiha did nothing but stare at her desperately trying to remain in control of his pain.

"Please Sasuke, let me help. Your bleeding badly."

Reluctantly, he removed his hand to reveal a large slash in his side. It looked deep and long.

"Take off your shirt."

Hesitantly he reached to undo it, pausing to cast her one of his 'are you serious?' glances.

"Come on, I have to heal it before you pass out from the blood loss,"

Gritting his teeth, he adjusted himself and removed the soiled white shirt before collapsing back down again.

Immediately Sakura pressed her hands to the wound, allowing a stream of pale green chakra to flow from her fingertips. The bleeding began to slow as flesh knitted itself back together once more. It took more than an hour before the wound was completely closed and healed. Sakura's medical abilities left nothing of the injury but a pink mark on Sasuke's pale abdomen.She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead before meeting the gaze of her patient, who had been watching intently the entire time.

"What happened?"

"Hn. Lucky hit."

"You at least owe me more of an explanation than that."

"I owe you nothing."

"Oh really? You do realize I just saved your life?"

"I never asked you to."

She lifted his arm into her lap, beginning to process of healing the bruises and cuts littered across it. She didn't respond.

Sasuke had expected to be the target of Sakura's nasty temper with that comment, in fact he thought it would be quite amusing to hear her ranting about how he owed her big time, but instead she seemed quietly resigned to except his response. He really hated women and their weird fragile emotions. It never made any sense to him.

"That's true, I guess you just wanted to fuck me and leave. Simple as that. No complications, no debts to owe. I understand"

Sasuke scoffed.

"It seems that you are not so innocent anymore, considering that you derived such a meaning from a few vague words. How do you know I wasn't asking to simply talk with you? Maybe I actually planned that I would be in need of a medic tonight"

"Sasuke-kun, when have you and I ever simply just talked to one another? I think this is the most productive conversation we have ever had, and that includes the time when we were still Team 7. Also, you're ego is too big to allow you to think you would be injured enough to need medical attention. You won't even acknowledge the fact that I just healed your fatal wounds."

She glanced up from his arm to see what sort of reaction her words had inspired, as far as she could tell it had yet to invoke any sort of emotion in him.

Typical Sasuke.

To any other person it would seem as though the Uchiha was simply not paying her any attention, but Sakura knew that he was listening. He had always been aware of his surroundings; it was not in his nature to simply tune a person out. Even if he didn't take it to heart.

She took a deep breath before starting again,

"Did I interpret wrong then?"

There was a pregnant pause; Sakura felt the butterflies doing cart wheels in her stomach again. Maybe she really had jumped to ridiculous conclusions; he must think her a complete imbecile by now.

"No." he said frankly. As if the fact he had just admitted to her his less then honorable intentions was no big deal.

Sakura gave a little smile at the blatant answer, glad that she hadn't made a fool of herself. She supposed if she had been the girl she was a few years ago, an answer like that from Sasuke would have made her faint dead away.

"What will you do then?"

"Hmm?" Sakura pretended not to hear as she suddenly became very focused again on Sasuke's already healed arm once more.

He did not respond

In truth she had been asking herself that same question. She didn't know. Hell, she didn't know anything at all about the situation. It was still a mystery as to what Sasuke's motivations were or what he was planning.

"What will I do? What would you have me do?" she replied with equal mystery.

"My offer still stands Sakura."

Sakura stopped healing once her name had fallen from his lips.

"I'm afraid I'm going to need a bit of explanation then."

"You didn't seem to need any before."

"Well I was planning on demanding some answers from you before you stumbled in bleeding to death!"

_There's that temper_

Completely uninterested Sasuke responded, "Demand then."

Forgetting his arm, Sakura stood up from the bed they had been sitting on and met his cold gaze with her determined one.

"First off, what are you doing in this village? Are you working for someone here or were you just passing through? Second, how did you completely disappear like that? Naruto and I have been searching for you for years! Eventually we were just ordered to kill you should we find you and you refuse to return. Do you know what that did to Naruto? Hmm? We had to stop looking for you altogether because we didn't want to be put in that position! I was terrified when I saw you the other night! You know I should have killed you already, instead I agreed to do something completely stupid and unprofessional! And third, why the hell would you ask to have sex with your former teammate who you haven't seen in years, whom at one point confessed her love for you when you were 12, and whom you tried to kill when you were 15?!? I don't even begin to understand what goes on in that twisted mind of yours!"

"Are you finished then?"

"Yes." She said panting, as her voice returned to its normal volume.

Smirking, Sasuke stood. If the movement caused him any pain, he did not show it. Drawing himself up to his full height, he looked down at Sakura's petite form.

"Whatever business I have here is strictly for me to know, although I doubt it would be that hard to figure out why. Where I have been is none of your concern and as for my death sentence I'm not too worried considering how you have made no motion to act upon your orders. Unless, the reason you came here tonight was to 'persuade' me to come back with you so you wouldn't have to carry those orders out. And to answer your last question..."

He began inching closer at this; Sakura felt herself begin to back away. His eyes were smoldering.

"... I recall you making a promise to me before I left you on that bench-"

Sakura swallowed. She felt her back brush the wall behind her; she quickly glanced around to see if there was anywhere that she could escape to should the occasion arise. Sasuke did not give her that option as he drew even closer. He pressed up against her, just like he had the previous night; hands resting against the wall on either side of her. He towered over her. His eyes were dark pools, and his thick raven hair jostled and jutting out at even stranger angles then it normally did. She then remembered the fact that he was half naked, his stained white shirt having been discarded in order for better access to his injuries. She could still smell the blood on him.

He lowered his head, until his lips were by her ear.

"- you said you would do _anything_ for me. I'm curious to see just what _anything _is."

"th-that doesn't give me any information"

"I never said it would."

She scowled at this. He moved his hand from its resting place to her chin, drawing her lips closer to his.

"So what shall it be?"

Sakura could feel herself shaking. This is what she had been waiting nearly eight years for. All she had to do was put her lips on his.

* * *

Author Note: Oh I'm such a tease huh? There has to be some sexual tension yeah? Well that 6 page conversation was a little tedious to write I admit, but I'd say it was necessary. That had to be the longest sentence Sasuke has ever uttered. 

I plan to update every Sunday. I may put out a chapter or two early if I am so inclined

-cough-reviews-cough-. Once again I really appreciate feedback good and bad. 3


	3. RIP

AN: Wow! I got a lot of hits and alerts on this story  Thanks to the people who reviewed I really appreciate it. This chapter is too late to be excusable, but I've had so much going on the past two weeks I didn't get much chance to write this. I think I'll probably post the next chapter early to make up for it if I get enough reviews and such. Anyways let's get to some angst…

* * *

**One the second night, Sakura feared him again. **

The sound of an enormous crash resonated throughout the corridors. The building swayed slightly on its frame as bits of plaster crumbled down from the ancient ceiling. Shouts of confusion could be heard in the hallway; somewhere downstairs a woman was screaming.

Sasuke jerked himself away from Sakura before moving his head in the direction of the noise. Something was up. They both could feel the sudden presence of an enormous chakra. Completely forgetting the position they had been in only moments before, the two shinobi focused their attention on the ominous aura circulating throughout the premises.

Sakura pushed herself off the wall and regained her footing.

"What was that?" she asked the Uchiha next to her, who now seemed to be deeply concentrated.

He gave no acknowledgement to her question.

Whatever it was, it had demanded the full attention of Uchiha Sasuke. With a chakra that huge, Sakura knew whoever was nearby would cause them a great deal of trouble.

Sakura felt a pang of fear slither its way down her spine. She remembered the note that had been left to her that morning. It referred to some type of situation with the Akatsuki, whom Tsunade had said where rumored to be in the area.

_There's no way they could be here, in this little shabby inn…_

…Or could they. Sakura doubted anyone else would have a presence that stifling. She also doubted any other group of ninja would have the audacity to wreak such havoc so casually in the open.

Heavy footsteps were heard as the person made their way up the rickety staircase, their gigantic chakra pulsing. It was so familiar; she couldn't quite place it though. The memory of his aura was on the tip of her mind, tucked away in her consciousness like a nightmare you wished you could forget.

"Don't let him sense you," Sasuke spoke softly.

She acknowledged him with a nod and carefully made her way toward the window. She had been taught since her days in the academy to always know her options, just incase a situation got out of hand. Sasuke stood his ground.

The footsteps had slowed, pausing just outside the door. It wasn't likely, but there was a chance he could still sense them inside the room. A sinister chuckle echoed through the hallway.

"I know your in there little Uchiha," a distinct voice mocked

_I know that voice!_

Sasuke still unmoving merely crossed his arms in the 'I don't care' fashion.

The door was torn off the hinges, and in stepped the tall shark like Akatsuki.

_Hoshigaki Kisame _

He hadn't changed since the last time she saw him nearly 2 years ago on her first official S-class mission as a jounin. The blue man gave another chuckle, before taking another gigantic step forward.

"I'm surprised you managed to follow me here," Sasuke spoke coolly

"Well you know, I did it the old fashion way. Tracked your trail to this place and then tortured the owner into giving me your room number. It wasn't that difficult really, a little slice was all it took."

Sasuke starred directly ahead, the over confidence radiating from him. Kisame's mouth curved upward into a grin, his pointed teeth revealed.

"I see your injury is healed." Still grinning, he turned his head toward Sakura. He studied her for a few moments, his yellow eyes taking her in until a glimmer of recognition flashed across his features.

"Ah hello there Cherry Blossom, It's been quite some time since I last saw you."

With that statement, Sakura had Sasuke's attention once more.

"I wasn't quite sure whether you had survived or not, but I had a feeling that you managed."

Regaining from the shock of seeing the last person she had expected (It seemed to have become a pattern recently) Sakura swallowed before replying,

"I almost did. That spot where your sword shaved my abdomen still gives me some trouble every now and them." His grin was only intensified by her response.

With a bellowing laugh he spoke again, "I have to admit my left arm is still a little stiff from when you shattered the bones in it."

Sakura smirked right back.

"I hate to keep you two from catching up, but I believe that we have unfinished business." Sasuke interjected.

"Ah Yes I believe we do."

It was so sudden that Sakura didn't even see it. Sasuke had drawn his sword and lunged strait at Kisame, who blocked with his giant sword Samehada. Kisame merely chuckled; Sasuke smirked. They leaped away, Sasuke flipping backward to land besides Sakura.

She drew her kunai, chakra pumping through her veins and pulsing around her hands and feet, ready to unleash her unnatural strength.

"Stay out of this," was all Sasuke uttered before dashing around to swing at Kisame once more. The fish easily ducked and swung around nearly cutting the Uchiha's leg. But Sasuke, using his ridiculous speed against Kisame's slowed strikes was able to pull a kunai and slice across his back before disappearing once more and landing a good 10 feet away.

Kisame merely chuckled.

"I can see this isn't the place to fight you. After all, if I must have a battle with you I'd like it to be to its full potential. It's been quite some time since I had a promising challenge such as this. Hotel rooms, and surprise attacks like earlier just won't do"

Sasuke merely shrugged.

"Tomorrow, midnight. The clearing near Hikori Bridge.We'll settle this. Hopefully the other members won't kill you before I can"

And with those words the Shark disappeared in a burst of water.

They both stood there, Sakura processing Kisame's words.

_Why does Hoshigaki need to fight Sasuke?_

Without a word, Sasuke turned and glided out the door.

She didn't even need to ask what he was doing; obviously he was leaving. Kisame had hinted that other members of the Akatsuki were looking for Sasuke too, and nothing flashed 'NINJAS ARE HERE' like a torn up building and traumatized civilians.

They both had to flee if they wished to remain undetected. Sasuke kept walking down the hall giving no acknowledgement to the pink haired girl peeking out the door behind him. Not wasting anytime, Sakura darted to her room and grabbed her pack before sprinting down the stairs to where Sasuke stood leaning casually against the wall of the lobby. Surprisingly he had expected her to come; it was a good thing considering how she would have followed him regardless of his wishes.

The scene in the tavern was not pretty. It was all but empty except for a few patrons who seemed as though they were in shock. Some tables and chairs had been overturned, and in the middle of it was a horror stricken bar man clutching at his bleeding side. The man was obviously in intense pain, there was nothing worse then an injury from Kisame's evil weapon. She made a motion toward him, but Sasuke chimed in, "Leave him, there isn't time."

Though she wished she could heal him, she knew they had to vacate the premises immediately before more Akatsuki dropped by. The man who had sold them out would live regardless.

And with that the two swept from the room.

* * *

They had been running for what Sakura guessed was hours. The cool night air brushed her skin as she leaped from branch to branch, following the dark haired Uchiha to an unknown destination. She had questioned just where they were headed earlier, and had received no coherent response. The night was threatening to evolve into day, as the first traces of light began to appear. The sky was still dark, but it now had more of an amethyst hue to it. Sakura guessed it had to be around four in the morning when Sasuke finally halted and dropped down to the forest floor beneath.

She knew she was a fool for following him so blindly, but she seemed to have lost her common sense the moment Sasuke had crushed his lips against hers. Now all that was left was a sense of reckless abandonment.

Sasuke leaned against the trunk of an enormous old tree. He slid down the rough bark until he was in a sitting position, his head rested against the wood. His eyes were closed, but his brow remained furrowed as if he were in deep thought.

Sakura plopped down across from him with much less grace, before leaning back onto her hands and stretching her legs out in front. There was a period of peaceful silence before Sakura decided it was time to ask what had been plaguing her mind although their journey.

"You're what they're after aren't you? You're the reason they are here?"

"I already told you earlier, my business here is none of your concern."

"You'd better believe it's my concern! I received a message from Tsunade earlier telling me to keep tabs on their activity in the area. And here I thought they were looking for Naruto!"

She took a deep breath; she knew she should do better to keep her cool. After so many years of polite little responses to Uchiha Sasuke she had finally had all that she could take and decided that honest shouting might serve her purpose better. Or at least make her feel a little more comfortable about his disregard.

"…Sasuke, I don't expect you to tell me just what is going on, but answer me this, why is Kisame after you?"

She didn't really expect a response, and at first, he didn't make any motion to give one. But then Sasuke's eyes darkened. He lowered his head to the ground so that is long ebony bangs hid his eyes. He looked for a moment as if he was completely in despair, that is, until the corner of his lips jerked upward into a smile. It was faint at first, and Sakura thought that maybe her ears were playing tricks on her, but a deep chuckle was coming from him. In a few moments it intensified to the point of almost insane laughter. It was the most unguarded she had ever seem him, she wasn't sure if he would just continue his deranged giggle fit or burst into sobs.

Sakura was at a loss; she drew herself back slightly from the man who looked more like a crazed killer to her in that moment than he had his entire life. She found herself crouching on her feet, ready to spring away. She couldn't help but swallow the lump in her throat as the familiar uncertainty returned to her. After all the threats, the fights, and the everything in between Sakura realized she had never been truly terrified of him until he had simply started laughing. Just what had he become?

He stopped suddenly, raising his head he gazed directly at Sakura, a half smirk still present. It held no joy though; it was almost as if he was laughing at the very essence of tragedy.

"You really want to know why Hoshigaki Kisame and Akatsuki have decided to eliminate me?" he asked in a deep dangerous tone.

Sakura was on her feet by now. In a flash so was he. He was behind her, his lips to her ear. She froze, dread pumping through her veins. She could feel the murderous intent pouring from him and frankly it scared the hell out of her. He trailed his fingers lightly along her jaw; she trembled.

"I did it Sakura," he spoke as he stepped even nearer toward her.

In a familiar dance, she stepped away. "...Sasuke, what is it you did?" it was like she was speaking to a fragile child. She knew what he meant though, the thought of it chilled her to the bone. He laughed a bit again. She faced him and began backing away, ready to pull a weapon should he attack.

"I killed him. Finally, after all this time. My clan can be at peace now."

She stopped. Looking up she saw him standing there. Since he was 6 years old all that he had known had been revenge.

"I took my revenge. I tore his inside to shreds with Chidori. I ran him straight through with my blade. I made sure he felt every ounce of pain that he had inflicted on me and my family tenfold. I let him drown in a pool of his own blood. Now I'm their biggest threat. I killed their strongest member and the Leader is not amused."

Sakura was shaking. He had dedicated himself to the slaughter of his own brother. In the process he had gained death sentences from Konoha, Orochimaru, and now Akatsuki. And now, standing there a mix of pride, joy, bitterness, and hopeless despair he had finally achieved it. She had heard the hurt in his words though. For only a second she saw the horrible pain in his cold arrogant sense of triumph. She had seen it only once before when she was 12:

"_You know how he doesn't have parents?"_

_She ignored the cold glare he gave her._

"_He is always doing selfish things; my parents would scold me for doing all of the things he does! If you're alone then you don't have anyone to scold you. That's why he is so selfish!" she had finished triumphantly. As if a naïve vain 12 year old girl knew everything of the world and the pain people like Naruto had faced._

_He surprised her by speaking, "The solitude…. You can't even compare it to the level of your parents scolding you." _

"_What's the matter?" she had asked._

_He looked over his shoulder at her, the wind blowing his hair. At that moment all she could think was how cool he looked. She hadn't recognized it then, but for an instant there was unbelievable suffering behind his tough façade. _

"_You're annoying." _

Remembering the tortured child he had been seemed to ease the fear of him slightly. Although, the terror she regarded him with only seconds ago was still very present, she couldn't help it. He was ecstatic about it she guessed, but Sasuke was emotionally fucked more than anything and Sakura being the medic she was felt obligated to heal his inner injuries. It was her weakness. She stepped forward to him.

"Sasuke-kun."

He looked at her. His gaze testing her while his mind calculated her actions. It was as if he was saying '_I dare you to come closer'. _She took his dare. And with a pale shaky hand she reached out to him, lightly touching the side of his face. She waited for him to react. He stood still, his gaze continueig to pierce her. Her hand cupped the side of his face.

"You said your clan can be at peace now. Well, what about you?"

And before he could react, she picked up where they had left off in the inn and leaned up to press her lips ever so lightly to his.

* * *

Cliff hangers are my best friends. Anyways, I'm looking for a Beta. I have horrible comma usage. Anyone want to volunteer? Please message me if you are interested and please make sure you know your grammar/spelling. Thank You! 


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